One of the great things about the these projects is that you can make them from items you probably already have around the home. And if you have little kids, so much the better. You'll likely be finished with these easy Hanukkah decorations by the time it takes your significant other to find your great-grandmother's menorah.

Do you prefer to make your Hanukkah decorations, or buy them?

We make them! Homemade is always best.

We buy them. If I like them, it makes no difference to me whether they're homemade or not.

Why Make Your Own Decorations?

There are lots of reasons why families would be tempted to make their own decorations:

they show their children's handiwork as they grow

they are great for posterity

it's a gratifying way to bond with your kids

they are inexpensive

they are your own designs

and most of all, it's fun!

So let's get to decorating!

"Latkes on a Plate" Hanukkah Decoration

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Bundle your raffia strands in piles, then secure with glue. | Source

Once dry, snip into rounded shapes (optional). | Source

Serve on a plate, or cut out a "griddle" from construction paper and hang on the wall. Attach to a mobile for a flying latke feast for the eyes. | Source

Substitutions

For the Latkes

Brown or tan corrugated paper crimps

Strips of natural raffia

Shred your own strips by running construction paper through a shredder

For the Plate

Decorate the edges of a plastic, paper, or glass plate with Sharpie markers

A "fancy" or "metallic" plate will prettify your home

Fashion a wire hanger into a mobile and hang the latkes from that

One of the easiest and most charming decorations is to make "latkes".

Raid your craft closet for natural raffia strips, then cut them into three- or four-inch lengths. Place them in little piles so they resemble latkes. Use Mod Podge or white glue to stick them together (don't worry about lumpy latkes... you want them to look natural). Allow to dry, and serve them up on a silver platter!

Place them on a plate (I used a "fancy silver charger" from my local dollar store), but you could also attach them to a paper plate or fashion a "frying pan" or " griddle" from black construction paper and hang on the wall, or even make a "latke mobile" that will sway in the breeze.

For more ideas, see the substitutions to the right. Bon appétit!

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A completed Maccabee Helmet, complete with a fierce lion on the front. | Source

The author wearing her helmet, looking ever so slightly like Bender from Futurama. | Source

Maccabee Helmet Hanukkah Decoration

For this project, you will need one blue or white bucket per person, a pair of scissors or a craft knife, duct tape or a piece of sandpaper, and markers. (Mod Podge or glue and magazines or scrapped books can also serve as decoration inspiration, but are not necessary.)

This is a fun little project for the Maccabees among us. Who doesn'tneed a Hanukkah helmet?

I bought a blue sand bucket with handle at my local dollar store (of course!), thinking the handle could be utilized as a chin strap. I measured where my eyes and nose would be, and cut a hole large enough for me to see out of clearly. Alternatively, you could leave a strip to protect the nose, but it really depends on the size of the bucket. If you plan to make this with your children, consider their head sizes when you buy your buckets.

File down the cut edges with sandpaper, or snip silver duct tape to fit over the cut edges, so no one gets scratched. Write or draw something meaningful on the helmet, like "Maccabee", a lion, or just an interesting design... whatever floats your boat.

If you have a little more time or want to keep the kids occupied, have them search online or through old magazines for images of lions or metallic designs they would like to decorate their helmets with. And why not start a new tradition and wear your helmets for the lighting of the Hanukkah candles?

Hanukkah Banner Decoration

The best thing about this "banner" is that it's very useful for apartments or living quarters that don't have a lot of wall space. You can hang it vertically or horizontally, whatever your space requires... because it's all separate!

Gather blue and white patterned scrapbook paper (individual sheets run from about $.89 each sheet and up) or specialty paper scraps (yes, craft stores do sell scraps!) and procure several sheets of punch-out letters. Cut up the scrapbook sheets into various sizes (3"x5", 4"x6", etc.), then poke out the letters and attach to the paper scraps with glue or Mod Podge. Allow to dry, then add tape to the back and stick them wherever your heart desires, or add a a string and hang them from the ceiling for a banner that floats.

Substitutions

For the Letters

Cut letters out of foam sheets or fabric

Dried beans, pasta, or colored rice (affix with glue or Mod Podge)

Apply stickers

For the Paper

Construction paper cut into rectangles or other interesting shapes

Foam core

Oaktag, cardboard, or card stock

Dreidel (Dreydel) Box Hanukkah Decoration

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A dreidel box will come in handy. Decorate this one with white and colored rice. | Source

Cut out the Hebrew letters... | Source

... and affix to the box. Make sure you keep the cover on in order to center the letter properly. | Source

Use glue or Mod Podge to attach to the box. | Source

It's sticky! | Source

Heavily coat the letter with more glue... | Source

... then dip into your colored rice. | Source

Use a big enough bowl. This bowl is much too small. | Source

Clean up the edges and then either leave as is, or fill in the rest of the side with white rice using the same technique. | Source

Making Colored Rice for Art and Craft Projects

Food coloring provides colorful, vibrant rice with no drying time, so you can use it immediately! | Source

This project has more steps than the other projects, but it's very pretty and a fun craft for little kids. How much trouble could they get into with rice and water-soluble glue? (Although I do suggest doing this one in the kitchen.)

You will need a small, four-sided box, white rice and colored rice, glue or Mod Podge, and a printout of the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hay, and shin... standing for "neis gadol ha'ya sham" ("a great miracle happened there" and what is printed on the sides of dreidels).

Cut out the letters and affix them to the sides of your box. Then heavily "paint" your glue medium over the letter itself, following the shape of the letter. Press or sprinkle your colored rice over the glue. Allow to dry, then "paint" the rest of the box sides with glue and white rice.

Or, bypass the "cutting and gluing the letters" steps and simply brush glue or Mod Podge directly onto your box in the shape of the letters. This would work wonderfully with colored sugar as well.